Oh well. It's not the end of the world. Yesterday was full - a server had the habdabs in the morning, and I was out all day. Since I no longer blog at work, there wasn't that opportunity to write, and I didn't get in until about 9.30pm, when all I was good for was remembering to book flights to Geneva and then vegetating in front of the TV.
Today has more of the same, although, hopefully sans upset server and with a trip to Great Ormond St Hospital Scout and Guide Group to drop off some badges. I've always wanted to visit this unit, ever since I read about it in the Ladybird book of Brownies.
15 minutes ago, N started running the New York marathon. He should be done in about 3.5-4 hours, depending on pace, crowding, and so on. He's not run quite that far before - he's done 20 milers before now, but 26.2 miles is a lot. He did it in 3:56:26. Very proud indeed.
Earlier on, I ran my usual first Sunday of the month 10km race. For some odd reason, in winter, it starts at 9am (in summer it starts at 9.30am), and it was feeling faintly disorganised today. I had to change bib number, as mine was in the set of numbers that got mis-programmed, and the Hub in the park hadn't opened as early as expected, and we started late. Some of the marshalls looked utterly frozen, too, but cheerful and cheering, as is their wont. The trees have definitely lost more leaves since the last time I was in the park, and they're looking rather bare - barer than the trees by work. It's so much cooler in the park than it is by the river Thames. It was a good day for running. Assuming that the clock was working properly, I achieved a personal best of under 53 minutes. This knocks a good 2 minutes off some of my previous times, and about 4 minutes off my time from this time last year. I slightly sprinted to the end - to make sure I got that time, almost fell over, nearly had an asthma attack (must remember to BREATHE when I sprint, I tend to forget), felt faintly dizzy from oxygen deprivation, and then almost burst into tears because N wasn't *right there* and I couldn't tell him all about it.
Had to wait until I could get home to text: got home to Jo having a moment about the Ranger Guides. The gilt rather came off the moment, but has been replaced by a trip to see F at Camden Market, in order to deliver jelly babies and a knitted cowl.
Ooooh. Photos. Let me try uploading...
F in cowl, Jo's socks, S's hat and booties, F's hat, V's socks, a bush in Wales, and the Country Standard, just after a priest in a bow-tie, so, possibly not a priest but actually a verger, had leapt athletically over it. That lot in Westminster Abbey are athletic:
Today, I was supposed to steward at a Thanksgiving Service for volunteers - those who have 50 years of service, or Laurel Awards, or Silver Fishes, or Silver Acorns in Guiding and Scouting. I had a nice tidy suit on, all my badges properly polished, and high heels. I was even early.
And, we waited around for rather a while until we did anything - the chief steward seemed slightly perplexed with what to do with 16 Scouts and Guides who were all eager to help three hours before the service.
About an hour in, it transpired that one of the readers hadn't turned up. The organiser asked if anyone had experience with public speaking. My hand went up, apparently faster than anyone else (sum total of public speaking: mostly at Brownies, occasionally at County events, with additional reading at church services and, my personal favourite, coming joint-third in the reading competition at school when I was 18). It was either that, or the suit. So, today, I found myself, at short notice, pretending to be someone called Helen, and reading at Westminster Abbey.
My Mum is very impressed: meanwhile, @Ciorstaidh84 found the entry in the service records for Prince William and Catherine Middleton's wedding, and I came all over morbid and found the entry for Diana, Princess of Wales' funeral, along with that of the Queen Mother. And then we found a rather more cheerful entry for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
Next up? A list.
10km race
put the laundry away
pack up the overseas Christmas presents for posting Hmmm. Can't quite. Missing one thing. Still, the rest can be done. Although, I want it noted: I was keener to wash out a manky bin than I was to wrap things up.
Brownies Accounts
Prep for Brownies Fridayhave paper, card, jellybabies, and a sort of plan.
Design N's hatWell, if you can call charting skulls and numbers a design? I'm using Bicycle Boy, which is apt - N love cycling, road, mountain and 24-hour endurance.
Knit a bit more
Acquire a Copenhagen guide book
Maybe wash out the outside bin, which smells like something has died in it (I feel this needs a bucket of hot, soapy, disinfectant filled, water).
N went to the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine on Amsterdam Avenue today. And, courtesy of Streetview, so did I.
Modern technology rocks.
Brownies and Guides beckon. I think the crisis has been averted (I hope so.). The cake is ready. I have crumpets to stuff down my eating tube before I go (not doing well at the eating thing at the moment - I've had a gyppy tummy and have rebelled against it by not wanting to feed it. This will pass).
(parentheses addiction)
xxx
ETA: Crisis averted. Indeedy. And I've since managed to polish my own badges ready for a service at Westminster Abbey tomorrow. They are very pretty and shiny again. This does make me happy. Plus, I am eating a very late supper - the crumpets were inedible.
FIVE new Brownies, a mad letter to parents to kindly remind them to let us know well in advance when their little darlings aren't going to attend, a brief canter through last year's accounts yet again (still mystifying)... oh, hang on, I tell a lie.
FOUR new Brownies, and one waiting to start until January now, when doubtless, I'll have forgotten all over again that parent will contact me.
Good thing I texted that parent, really!
At some point, I may manage to eat. And knit. Oooh, I would like to knit. Time is precious, and I keep spending it elsewhere (happily, mark you).
I find myself sitting here, at work, with nothing really to write. I
wrote myself out this morning, for N, before he goes away again
for another week, this time to go and run the NYC Marathon for
Macmillan Cancer Support.
Next year, we're going to run the Bath
Half together, with various others from work (tomorrow is run #2 of
the IT Department Running Group TM. Another 3 miles. Saturday, I need
to run some intervals. Sunday I have a 10km race, my first since the
bronchitis of September).
Recent Comments